It is well known in motor vehicles to provide an inflatable air bag which deploys into the occupant compartment to cushion the occupant. Such air bag systems typically include a driver air bag mounted on the steering wheel and a passenger air bag mounted on the instrument panel forwardly of the passenger seating position.
It is known to mount the passenger air bag module beneath the top surface of the instrument panel and to provide an air bag deployment opening within the padded instrument panel cover. The deployment opening in the instrument panel cover is closed by an air bag door which opens in response to air bag deployment to permit the air bag to deploy into the passenger compartment.
The air bag door conceals the air bag module from view and is supported on the instrument panel cover in a manner which will conceal and protect the air bag module and yet open rapidly in the event of air bag deployment. The prior art has provided many air bag door constructions for closing the deployment opening provided in the instrument panel cover.
It would be desirable to provide an instrument panel mounted air bag which could deploy into the passenger compartment without necessity of providing an air bag deployment opening in the instrument panel cover. In particular, the elimination of the air bag opening would eliminate necessity for an air bag door to close the deployment opening. Elimination of the air bag opening and the air bag door for closing the opening would result in economies of manufacture and assembly labor.
In addition, the elimination of the air bag opening would facilitate the design of aesthetically pleasing instrument panel covers.